Sharks eye West's top seed in home test against Avalanche

Hockey Betting Lines

03/22/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Having already clinched the Pacific Division title, the San Jose Sharks can regain the top seed in the Western Conference when they host the lowly Colorado Avalanche tonight at HP Pavilion.

The Sharks have 104 points on the season and are just one point in back of idle Detroit for not only the top spot in the West, but also in the race for the Presidents' Trophy.

San Jose has won two straight and four of its last five contests. The Sharks were in action Saturday afternoon and recorded an easy home win over the Dallas Stars. Joe Pavelski tallied a goal and two assists, as the Sharks downed the struggling Stars, 5-2.

Joe Thornton, Devin Setoguchi, Milan Michalek, and Patrick Marleau also lit the lamp for the Sharks, who won their third consecutive game at home. Marleau and Setoguchi also added one assist apiece for the victors.

Evgeni Nabokov made 23 saves and improved to 4-0-0 since returning on March 14 from an upper-body injury.

The Sharks are 29-3-4 as the host this year and are completing a three-game homestand tonight. San Jose's next two games will be on the road against Chicago and Nashville.

The Avalanche, who are last in the West with 64 points, have lost three straight on the heels of back-to-back wins.

Colorado last played on Thursday against visiting Edmonton and was handed a humiliating loss. Sam Gagner scored his first career hat trick and registered an assist as the Oilers pounded the Avalanche, 8-1, at Pepsi Center.

Cody McLeod scored the lone goal for Colorado, which has also dropped 10 of 13 overall. Peter Budaj allowed eight goals on only 24 shots in the Avs' most lopsided loss of the season.

The Avalanche are just 13-22-2 as the guest this year and have lost two straight and seven of their last nine road games. Colorado's next two games will come on home ice, beginning with Wednesday's test against Anaheim.

San Jose has won both meetings against the Avs this season and this will be the first encounter between the clubs in Silicon Valley. The Sharks have won four of the last five overall matchups against Colorado.

Roolingstone Hockey Betting News

<< Ducks take aim at third straight win in home test vs. Coyotes
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Anaheim Ducks will shoot for their first three-game winning streak in nearly four months when they welcome the Phoenix Coyotes for today's clash at the Honda Center. The Ducks last won three in a row during a four-game

<< Oilers visit Wild with shot at fourth straight victory
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Edmonton Oilers will try for their first four-game winning streak since the early stages of the season when they visit the struggling Minnesota Wild for today's Northwest Division battle at Xcel Energy Center. The Oil

<< Sliding Blackhawks welcome Kings to town
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The stumbling Chicago Blackhawks will try to end a five- game losing streak when they host the Los Angeles Kings in an afternoon clash today at the United Center. With the regular season winding down, the Blackhawks have p

<< Flyers visit sizzling Pens for key battle
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A key Eastern Conference playoff battle is on tap today in the Steel City, as the scorching Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the rival Philadelphia Flyers for an Atlantic Division battle at Mellon Arena. The Penguins and Flyers

<< Heat pay a visit to Pistons at The Palace
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The recently-struggling Miami Heat will try to salvage the finale of a four-game road trip Sunday against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Miami has dropped the first three tests of the road swing a

Surging clubs meet as Rangers host Sens at MSG >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of hot teams will meet tonight in the Big Apple, as the New York Rangers welcome the Ottawa Senators for an Eastern Conference battle at Madison Square Garden. The Senators have won four straight and eight of their

No. 1 Louisville to try and avoid upset at hands of Siena >>
Dayton, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Midwest Regional was full of upsets on the first day and the top-seeded Louisville Cardinals will try to avoid one themselves against the ninth-seeded Siena Saints in second-round play at UD Arena this evening.

Bruins host Devils in clash between East's top teams >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top two teams in the Eastern Conference will clash today in Beantown, as the Boston Bruins welcome the New Jersey Devils for a showdown at TD Banknorth Garden. The Bruins leads the Northeast Division as well as the con

BU earns top seed for NCAA hockey tourney >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Boston University has been rewarded with the top overall seed for the 2009 NCAA hockey tournament. The Terriers (31-6-4) will be the top seed in the Northeast Regional, while the other No. 1 seeds f

Blackhawks activate RW Sharp >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Blackhawks have activated right wing Patrick Sharp off injured reserve. Sharp had missed Chicago's last 16 games with a lower body injury. He was hurt in a February 14 game against San Jose a

MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined

Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.

"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."

Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)

According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.

As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).

Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.

Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at

17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.

*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007

New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers

By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.

"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."

While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."

About MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker
Since opening in 1997, MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker has been a leader in Internet wagering, providing single account access for sports and casino play. This sportsbook has a revolutionary payment method, Direct Bank Transfer, gives players a faster and more secure transaction option for both deposits and withdrawals. This Internet Sportsbook takes pride in offering an aggressive VIP rewards program, along with seasonal reduced juice specials and high parlay payout odds. MySportsbook.com has set new standards in the sports betting industry, from their fantastic customer service, industry leading bonuses, extensive selection of wager types and props, to the fastest payouts anywhere... MySportsbook.com is America's Sportsbook! Open an account today at MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker, or call toll-free 1-866-238-6648

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Master Card needs.